It can be said that Naughty Dog is one of the most popular video game studios in the industry, being the spearheading force behind beloved franchises such as The Last of Us and Uncharted. Because of this, it is no wonder that fans are excited about the news of the franchise releasing a brand-new sci-fi experience in the near future.
Of course, a sci-fi setting is a departure from the usual work of Naughty Dog, and so the company will be delving into some relatively uncharted territory with such a release. With how much of a risk this setting could be for the title, Naughty Dog is lucky in the fact that there are several comparable sci-fi projects that are set to soon release. The reception of these releases, such as Starfield and The Outer Worlds 2, could be observed by Naughty Dog to gauge the market trends of the sci-fi genre and provide valuable insight into the development of its own game.
Starfield and The Outer Worlds 2
When discussing the near future of the sci-fi genre of video games, it can be said that Starfield and The Outer Worlds 2 are the largest contributing factors of it. Starfield is an ambitious and expansive upcoming release coming from Bethesda, with the title being the first brand-new IP for the company in over 25 years.
Maintaining the classic Bethesda formula that has seen other RPGs such as The Elder Scrolls and Fallout become so iconic, Starfield boldly applies it to the medium of sci-fi space travel and multi-planet exploration. With the game reportedly boasting over 1,000 explorable planets and taking the Bethesda RPG formula to its next level, Starfield is undoubtedly a massively anticipated game.
The Outer Worlds 2 is another hotly anticipated upcoming sci-fi release, this time coming from Obsidian Entertainment. Building upon the success of its 2019 predecessor, The Outer Worlds 2 is another sci-fi RPG with an in-depth companion system and stylized aesthetic. While both of these titles are not set to release for some time, they provide a fantastic opportunity in the way of market research for Naughty Dog.
Naughty Dog's Upcoming Sci-Fi Game
Not a lot is currently known about Naughty Dog's foray into the sci-fi genre, as there have been reports and rumors of such a release for several years. Many have theorized that this sci-fi project will be based on an in-universe sci-fi IP from The Last of Us known as Savage Starlight. With this fictional IP appearing extensively in The Last of Us in the way of collectibles, turning it into its own title will smartly allow Naughty Dog to broaden the scope of its creativity while directly linking the game to its other most popular franchises.
With Naughty Dog currently being encumbered with other projects such as a multiplayer game based on The Last of Us universe, many are sensibly assuming that it will be some time before the studio's sci-fi project sees the light of day. It is likely that both Starfield and The Outer Worlds 2, which are respectively set to release in September 2023 and sometime within the next two years, will release before Naughty Dog's sci-fi project.
In this way, Naughty Dog can use these releases as an indicator of fan reception to expansive sci-fi projects in the modern gaming market, and can crucially make tweaks and amends to its own game based on the trends of Starfield and The Outer Worlds 2. It is also worth mentioning that both The Outer Worlds 2 and Starfield are set to be Xbox and PC exclusive, meaning that Naughty Dog could capitalize on other platform markets based on how well these two titles perform as high-profile sci-fi releases.